Congressional Member And Staff Organizations

This page is for the exclusive use of House staff with a U.S. House of Representatives email account. Accounts will be checked against existing databases: If no account exists, the request will not be processed and there will be no response from the Committee on House Administration.

Please read all rules pertaining to CMOs and CSOs before sending the required information to cmocsoregistration@mail.house.gov to submit a request.

Congressional Member Organizations

Members of Congress may form a Congressional Member Organization (CMO) in order to pursue common legislative objectives.

Each Congress, CMOs must electronically register with the Committee on House Administration.

Step 1: Prepare a letter on official letterhead, to the Committee on House Administration with the following information:

1. CMO Name
2. Statement of Purpose
3. Officers of the CMO
4. Name, Phone Number, and Email Address of staff designated to work on issues related to the CMO

Step 2: Prepare a letter on official letterhead (Sample Request letter) via email at cmocsoregistration@mail.house.gov.

Step 3: Receive approval from the Committee on House Administration.

Step 4: Check for your CMO's listing.

• CMOs have no separate corporate or legal identity.
• A CMO is not an employing authority.
• The MRA may not directly support a CMO as an independent entity. A CMO may not be assigned separate office space.
• Neither CMOs nor individual Members may accept goods, funds, or services from private organizations or individuals to support the CMO.
• Members may use personal funds to support the CMO.
• A Member of a CMO, in support of the objectives of that CMO, may utilize employees (including shared employees) and official resources under the control of the Member to assist the CMO in carrying out its legislative objectives, but no employees may be appointed in the name of a CMO.

• CMOs may not use the Frank, nor may a Member lend his or her Frank to a CMO.
• A Member may use official resources for communications related to the purpose of a CMO. Any such communications must comply with the Franking Regulations.
• Members may devote a section of their official Web site to CMO issues, but CMOs may not have independent Web pages.
• A Member may use inside mail to communicate information related to a CMO.
• Members may prepare material related to CMO issues for dissemination.
• Official funds may not be used to print or pay for stationery for the CMO.
• Members may refer to their membership in a CMO on their official stationery.

Congressional Staff Organizations

A Congressional Staff Organization (CSO) is an organization, a majority of whose members are House employees, that exists for the purpose of facilitating interaction among congressional staff. Each Congress, CSOs must register with the Committee on House Administration. At least one officer of a CSO must be an employee of the House, and all officers must be employees of the House or Senate. A CSO should contact the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct at x57103 before accepting anything of monetary value from a private source.

Other than as specified in this section, House staff that participates in a CSO may make only incidental use of official resources for activities related to a CSO. A CSO is not an employing authority of the House and may not be assigned separate office space.

Each Congress, in order to use official resources of the House (i.e., inside mail, House Intranet, etc.), a CSO must register with the Committee on House Administration. A sponsoring Member must submit a letter, on official letterhead, to the Committee with the following information:

1. Name of the staff organization
2. Statement of purpose of the staff organization
3. Officers of the staff organization, including contact information
4. Specify which of the following resources the CSO requests use of:

After the CSO is registered, the sponsoring Member may submit, at any time, a letter requesting access to Inside Mail, a House postbox, or a presence on the House Intranet for CSO related activities.

Each Congress, in order to use official resources of the House (i.e., inside mail, House Intranet, etc.), a CSO must electronically register with the Committee on House Administration.

Step 1: Identify a sponsoring Member for the CSO.

Step 2: Prepare a letter on official letterhead from the sponsoring Member, to the Committee on House Administration with the following information:

1. CSO Name
2. Statement of purpose
3. Name, Phone Number, and Email Address of officers of the staff organization
4. Specify which of the following resources the CSO requests use of:
   • a. Inside mail
   • b. House Intranet site
   • c. Postbox at House Postal Operations
5. Name of individuals designated to maintain web and mail services on behalf of the CSO (if applicable.)

Step 2: Prepare a letter on official letterhead (Sample Request letter) via email at cmocsoregistration@mail.house.gov.

Step 3: Receive approval from the Committee on House Administration.

Step 4: Check for your CSO's listing.

After the CSO is registered, the sponsoring Member may submit, at any time, a letter requesting access to Inside Mail, a House postbox, or a presence on the House Intranet for CSO related activities.

At least one officer of a CSO must be an employee of the House, and all officers must be employees of the House or Senate.

Other than as specified in this section, House staff that participates in a CSO may make only incidental use of official resources for activities related to a CSO.

• A CSO is not an employing authority of the House and may not be assigned separate office space.
• A CSO should contact the Committee on Ethics at x57103 before accepting anything of monetary value from a private source.